To our neighbours

It’s been bubbling in me though as I watch the political circus play out south of the border.  Almost every day, there is a new sensationalized event, that both Republicans and Democrats chirp on about, using hyperboles to explain how today’s event is the worst possible thing the other side has ever done.

But these last two weeks?  The last two weeks have taken the cake, eaten it, and ran around the block with it.

What I watched last week was a woman, clearly traumatized and terrified, and completely credible, come forward with her truth.  And I also I watched both sides of the aisle capitalize, strategize and collude amongst their respective camps on how to make this event work best for them.  Dr. Christine Blasey Ford went before the US Senate Judicial Committee to openly discuss her alleged sexual assault by a nominee for the Supreme Court.

And every member of that committee somehow thought this was perfectly ok.

Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that every single member of that committee was doing exactly what they felt to be right.  And that is was scares me most.  Each firmly believed that the alternative to their view is the worst possible thing that could happen to their country.  But, make no mistake about it, Dr Ford was there out of necessity, because all members of that committee needed her to be, so that they could make sure their belief was sustained.  Whether it be the Democrats – who used the hearing to take political shots about why the Republican nominee to the US Supreme Court, Brett Cavanaugh, should not be confirmed –  or the Republicans – who actually brought in a prosecutor to undermine Dr. Ford’s credibility because they knew a panel of 11 men would have no standing to question her on their own – what we witnessed was utterly shameful.

I can’t pretend that I am in any way surprised.  The political divide in the US appears so entrenched that the notion of the “ends justifying the means” seems ingrained.  But it scares me nonetheless.  Not only because of the anger and vitriol that seems to be par for the course in American political culture these days, but because like most American culture, it tends to seep north of the border.

And while I am fully aware that my words will sway no one, I can’t help but pen a letter from a Canadian to my American neighbours.

 

My dear American neighbours:

I’ve been watching from up here in the Great White North with morbid fascination for the last couple years, and have been quietly astounded at what is transpiring in your country.  While it seems to have culminated in the election of a profound and unabashed narcissist as your President, this particular train, to quote the Tragically Hip, has “been a long time a comin”.

I grew up feeling a kinship with Americans.  Though I am loath to admit it sometimes, our shared history on this continent, our familiarity with American culture, and the ease with which we could move about in each other’s countries, made us feel similar.  But I’ve been watching US politics over the last couple of decades and it seems like there has been a fundamental shift in tone.  What I hear now from so many on the political spectrum is anger, disgust, fear and outright belittling.  Perhaps it is just the prevalence of social media that has given voice to these extreme views, but it is utterly astounding to watch a country that was founded on the rights of individuals focus on personal attacks and vitriol, above policies and ideas.   And what scares me most, knowing the huge influence the US has on Canada, is that it’s coming here.

We saw it in the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Obama eras as well, though admittedly it has gained speed and ferocity in more recent years.  We saw it when Democrats relentlessly questioned President Reagan’s credentials for President, when President Bush Sr. was vilified as a baby killer for his decisions on Kuwait, when Republicans gleefully poured over the salacious details of the Lewinsky affair, and when self-righteous birthers demanded to see Mr. Obama’s birth certificate.  The media has been calling it the polarization of America – this entrenchment into political camps, each of which directly or indirectly questions the very ‘goodness’ of political claims or ideas that do not align with their own.

Just so I am indeed completely honest, I think the current administration is morally compromised.  I believe that they are so committed to their version of history and events, that there are no longer any moral standards by which they will abide.  They are able to convince themselves that the greater good is served with the election of a man who feels no shame in publicly belittling or mocking anyone who disagrees with him or who doesn’t fit into his version of history.  They have convinced themselves that whatever collateral damage he inflicts is worth the sacrifice because he has a base, and perhaps they tell themselves that he stands for what Americans believe in.  He is after all, a charismatic guy.

But what I saw last week was a group of privileged, white men willing to explain away what is clearly a credible, though disproven, allegation about a Supreme Court nominee.  If this man were applying to be their gardener, they would take these accusations seriously.  But they are so blinded by what they believe to be the greater good, that they are willing to confirm a man who may, just may, have gotten so drunk that he could have assaulted a teenage girl.  We shouldn’t be surprised.  After all, they were so blinded, they were willing to support a presidential candidate who admitted to sexually assaulting women, belittled and threatened minority citizens and, who since coming into power, has proven himself to be utterly unfit for the position.

But, at this point, I don’t believe that the Democrats would be any different in power.  The examples are just easy to find right now because it is the Republicans who control the political agenda.  Listening to the hate and vitriol that spews from both sides of the aisle, it is hard to believe that the country could ever be whole.

And so my friends and colleagues to the south, as an observer, I come with the simple question: Who do you want to be?

You now find yourselves in a position where politicians can lie openly with no consequences.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they were ever saints, but at least when they were caught in a lie, there was repercussions and penance.  Now, it all gets explained away, and ignored, because “that’s just how things are now” or worse, the other guy is the one lying.  And, at the same time, political opponents in the public eye – whether they be senators or tv news personalities or talk show hosts – have no compulsion about eschewing all pretense of respect, and hateful insults are hurled in desperation and despair.  Is that really who you want to be?  Do you think so little of each other, your country and your democratic institutions that they are all expendable in the down and dirty race to get to your version of the political ideal?

What I feel most about what I am watching is not anger or frustration.  It is sadness. I am watching the decline of an empire, that is tearing itself apart from within.  Perhaps it is inevitable.  Maybe this is the way of empires – that they eventually tear themselves apart under the weight of their power and prestige.   But it is no less awful to watch, and to see the collateral human damage left in its wake.

This November, as has often been repeated, Americans will have a choice to make.  It will not be about Democrat or Republican, it will be about what kind of country you want to be.  Whether you will reward search and destroy politics or whether you will turn to the notions of respect and dignity.  Maybe it’s too late.  Perhaps the dye has already been set.  I don’t envy you the choice.  For many, it will be gut-wrenching.  For others, it will be simple.  For all, it will be a defining moment in your history.  And for my country’s sake, I hope your choice echoes the words of one of your own when you’re country faced a momentous division:

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

I was lucky enough to a production of he musical Hamilton recently.  It is utterly brilliant on so many levels and so on point with where the US finds itself in its current history.  Near the end, there is a scene where Hamilton and Burr duel.  At the very end, Burr fully grasps the most important lesson from his decades long relationship with Hamilton.  He sings: “I should’ve known; The world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me.”